Data card and method of making same



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United States Patent O 3,268,136 DATA CARD AND METHOD F MAKING SAMEHarold W. Huffman, Hamilton, Qhio, assignor to The Hamilton ToolCompany, Hamilton, (lhio, a corporation of Ghio Filed Jan. 14, 1965,Ser. No. 425,417 11 Claims. (Cl. 22S-2) This invention relates to datacards, such as businessmachine cards or the like, and to an improvedmethod of producing such cards with great precision and efficiency.

Common practice has been to produce data cards by subjecting ahigh-grade paper web traveling at high speed, to punching and slittingmeans which perforate both side margins of the web, and line-cut the webat specified locations both longitudinally and transversely, toestablish the length and width dimensions of the cards withoutdestroying the continuity of the moving web. The perforations wereequally spaced apart in lines running parallel to the sides of the web,and inwardly of each line of perforations the web was pierced through,by means of two .closely spaced lines of individual cuts, to definedetachable trim strips at opposite sides of the web, substantially asshown `in FIG. 1. By subsequently removing the trim strips, t-he finallength dimension of a card was established.

The production of cards necessitated, of course, transverse cutting ofthe web at intervals, and this was done during high-speed travel of theweb, in a manner illustrated by FIG. 3. Here, the cutters produced fourlines of individual cuts extending transversely across the web, the cutsbeing in pairs spaced apart to define an intervening removable crossstrip, this strip being repeated at spaced intervals along the web sothat removal of the cross strips established the final height, orwidt-h, of the individual cards. Removal of the cross strips, and of thelongitudinal trim strips, was effected by means of a process stepcommonly known as bursting whereby the paper remaining intermediate thelines of individual through cuts was torn or rent to produce the cardsas individuals entirely separated from one another.

The bursting and disposal of the transverse cross strips duringhigh-speed advancement of the web, have posed problems which were ofgreat concern in the manufacturing procedure. If the mechanism forremoving the detached cross strips failed to function properly, due tomaladjustment or other causes, it sometimes became necessary ltointerrupt the web advancement, with resultant loss of production andadded labor expense. Moreover, the cross strips represented waste, ofconsiderable magnitude in high-grade expensive paper.

One object of the present invention is to minimize waste of high-gradepaper in the manufacture of cards of the character mentioned above.

Another object of the invention is to enhance the etlieiency of cardproduction, with substantial savings of time and labor.

A further kobject is to produce with great efficiency, cards such as byway of example, I.B.M. mark-sensing cards or the like, with finishededges which are completely devoid of objectionable protrusions orirregular tufts of paper stock.

Another object of the invention is to produce individual cards from acontinuous length of stock, wherein adjacent portions of adjoining cardshave finished edges common to both such cards.

Another object is to teach a method of producing cards with finishedupper and lower edges, without resorting to use of an intermediate crossstrip, thereby to minimize waste and at the same time simplify andexpedite the manufacturing procedure.

Patented August 23, 1966 ICC A further object of the invention is theproduction of cards having the hereinabove described characteristics andwhich permits the efiicient use of conventional concepts in collatorsand other standard printing equipment with precise accuracy by initiallypartially severing opposite edges by means of a plurality of alignedcuts, the adjacent ends of said cuts being spaced apart to form an uncuttie or tab interconnecting the adjoining cards. The aforesaid cutsextend transversely of the length of stock from which the cards aremade, said cuts accurately defining the finished side edges of thecards.

Having thus provided the cards with iinished side edges while stillinterconnected at the uncut ties or tabs, the continuous web strip maybe further processed if desired, or the individual cards may beseparated from the strip without further processing.

According to the teachings of the present invention, the various ties ortabs between adjoining cards are completely removed or excised by beingpunched out in such manner as to locate the periphery of each punch-outastride the transversely disposed cuts, that is, within the confines ofthe finished side edges of the adjoining cards. In this manner, thecards are provided with finished edges which are entirely free ofprotruding ties or tufts of paper stock.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by means described hereinand as disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan View of an indeterminate length of card stock,illustrating one manner in which the various steps of the method of theinvention may be practiced in producing the card of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing portions of threecards which embody the present invention, and illustrating the locationof notches produced by punching.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a web perforated and slitted inaccordance with a prior art procedure, ove which the present inventionis an improvement. l

With reference to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 indicates generally anindeterminate web or length of card stock, which may -be consideredrapidly moving continuously from left to right through a punching andslitting machine. Such machine will incorporate rotary punch rolls ofknown design, effective to form two lines of perforations 12 and 14marginally of the opposite edges 16 and 18 of the web, the lines ofperforations being parallel to the line of travel -of the web.

The same rotary roll, or another roll similarly rotated, may be providedwith knives or cutters operative to slit the web alongside and inwardlyof both lines of perforations, to provide a line of spaced cuts 20, anda second line of spaced cuts 22, extending in parallelism with the linesof perforations 12 and 14. The lines of cuts 20 may be referred to asthe primary cuts, as they establish the exact length of the successionof cards A, B, C, D, E, F and G, when the cards are separated form theweb as are the cards E, F, and G.

The remaining lines of cuts 22-22 may be referred to as the secondaryline of cuts, and these are disposed closely adjacent to but spaced fromthe primary cuts throughout the length of the web. Each secondary cut 22spans the space which separates two successive primary cuts; andsimilarly, .any primary cut spans the space which separates twosuccessive secondary cuts. In either case, the length of a cut maypreferably slightly exceed the length of a span, as the drawingindicates. Accordingly, when a longitudinal trim strip 24 of card E, forexample, is bursted or torn from the card (see F), the trim strip willcarry with it some of the paper of the card intermediate the ends ofsuccessive primary cuts 20. The trim strip tears off, therefore,carrying small keystone-shaped tabs or ties 26, leaving notches or voids28 in the end edge of the card.

The formation of notches or voids 28 assures that the edges of primarycuts 20 will collectively constitute an end of the card, which end willbe completely free of any objectionable protrusions or tufts of paperstock resulting from tearing off the trim strip. The effective length ofa card such as F, therefore, may be very accurately dimensioned forprecision high-speed data collation in business machines, it beingunderstood that the lines of primary cuts are very accurately applied tothe web.

Card G of FIG. l is a completely finished card, separated from thepreceding and .succeeding cards of the web, and having been end-trimmedaccording to the procedure above described in connection with card F.

Reverting to the left portion of FIG. 1 wherein cards i A, B, and C areconnected along their major edges, and are therefore still constituentsof the traveling web, it

should be pointed out that the web in the course of ady vancement issubjected to knives or cutters which slit t-he web through, alongtransverse lines of cut 30. Each transverse line of cut 30 isconstituted of several slits 32 disposed end to end in single straightline formation, with solid stock remaining intermediate successive slitsas at 34. These solid portions may be considered connecting tabs orties, and are quite limited in extent, though sucient to hold one cardto another as the web advances. The lines of transverse cut 30, whichmay extend across the full width of the web, establish very accuratelythe width, or height, of all cards to be struck from the web.

When the cards as defined by the interrupted lines of ltransverse cut 30reach a predetermined state of web advancement, the cards may beseparated one from another in rapid succesison, by punching holes 36through the web, with clean removal of small pads of stock, to excisecompletely the connecting ties or tabs 34. If desired,

.the punching may be directed to certain ties only, for ex- .of ties 34by punching may be performed simultaneously upon all the ties of a line30, thereby to completely and instantly achieve card separation in -asingle operation. Such punching may be performed either before or afterbursting of the trim strips 24-24 from the web. The punching may beperformed by means of conventional punch roll apparatus.

It should be noted here that punching out the ties 34 with excision ofstock at the ties, results in clean side edges on the cards 'formed bythe very accurately applied slits 32, so that the cards will haveuniformly spaced side edges established with such precision as isrequired in the operation of modern high speed collators or businessmachines, Important also is the fact that the punch-outs are easilydisposed of during rapid advancement of the web, and a maximum number ofcards is obtainable from the web because there is no waste deductibleform the length of the web.

p The foregoing advantages and savings may be compared with the priorart practice depicted by FIG. 3, wherein web 80 is shown to include thesame type of side trim strips 82-82, formed in substantial accordancewith the FIG. 1 structure as previously described, but wherein thetransverse lines of cutitng are quite different. Whereas the FIG. 1improved structure employs but a single transverse line of cut 30, andrequires a punchingy operation for separating successive cards, the webstructure of FIG. 3 employs four parallel lines of transverse cuts 84,86, 88, 90, arranged in pairs, to define a transverse waste strip 92that must be bodily torn out and disposed of with certainty during rapidadvancement of the web.

Detachment and disposal of waste strip 92 involves an operation which isawkward and difficult of performance, because of the relatively largesize of the waste strip as compared with the punch-outs of FIG. 1, andbecause of the fact that displacement of the relatively large wastestrip must be performed in a direction transverse to the direction ofweb advancement. Moreover, theproduction of waste strips 92 in greatnumbers, during the course of a run, decreases materially the number ofcards that may be struck from a given yardage of web stock. Theresulting waste is quite expensive when card stock of highquality gradeis used. I

In practicing t-he improved method of the present invention, cards withprecision dimensions may be produced at a high rate of speed, and withno waste whatever taken from the length of the web. The ease with whichthe small punch-outs may be disposed of by air movement or otherwiseduring advancement of t-he web, assurestroublefree continuous productionwithout expensive Waste and machinery shutdowns. j

The oblique short lines indicated at 40 upon YFIG. l, indicate scores,cuts, or markings, not pertinent to the present invention, definingsmall corners of stock which may or may not be removed from theindividu-al cards, as preferred.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes may bemade in the article and in the process disclosed, within the scope ofthe appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of data cand manufacture, which comprises: rapidlyadvancing a long card-stock web of substantially uniform width; piercingthe web transversely at predetermined intervals with a single successionof elongate cuts in end to end alignment, the ends of each cut beingspaced from the ends of the next adjacent cuts to provide connectingties maintaining continuity of the web; then excising the connectingties by punching pads from the web wherein the transverse dimension ofthe pads are the same as the connecting ties, to sever the web along thesuccession of cuts.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the formation of theelongate cuts, and the excision of the connecting ties, are performedupon the web while the web is in continuous motion. l

3. The method of data card manufacture, which cornprises: rapidlyadvancing a long card-stock web of substantially uniform width; piercingthe web transversely at predetermined intervals With a single line ofindividual elongate cuts arranged in end to end disposition, with theends of each cut spaced fro-m the ends of the next adjacent cuts toprovide connecting ties between adjacent cuts for maintaining continuityof the advancing web; then punching pads of stock from the web toinclude the connecting ties, each pad being of va dimension to extendfrom the end of one cut to the adjacent end of the other cut, thereby tonally sever the web along the transverse cuts.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the pads of stock punchedfrom the web are wider than the width of the cuts, resulting in theformation of notches in the web at both sides of the line of severance.

5. The method of data card manufacture, which comprises rapidlyadvancing lengthwise a long card-stock web of substantially uniformwidth; piercing the web at intervals marginally of a side edge to dene adetachable trim strip; piercing the web transversely at predeterminedintervals with a line of individual elongate cuts arranged 1n end to enddisposition, with the ends of each cut spaced from the ends of the nextadjacent cuts to provide connecting ties between adjacent cuts fortemporarily maintaining continuity of the web; then punching pads ofstock from the web to include at least some of the connecting ties; thenremoving the detachable trim strip from the side margin of the web.

6'. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the pads of stockpunched from the web are wider than the width of the transverse cuts,resulting in the formation of notches in the web at both sides of thetransverse line of severance.

7. The method of data card manufacture, which comprises: rapidlyadvancing lengthwise a long card-stock web of substantially uniformwidth; piercing the web at intervals marginally of a side edge to dene adetachable trim strip; piercing the web transversely at predeterminedintervals with a line of individual elongate cuts arranged in end to enddisposition, with the ends of each cut spaced from the ends of the nextadjacent cuts to provide connecting ties between adjacent cuts fortemporarily maintaining continuity of the web; then punching pads ofstock from the web to include the connecting ties, thereby to completeseverance of the web along the transverse cuts; and removing thedetachable trim strip aforesaid.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the pads of stock punchedfrom the web are of greater width than the transverse cuts, and saidpads are so located as to remove stock at both sides of the line oftransverse cuts, resulting in the formation of notches in the web stockat opposite sides of the line of transverse severance.

9. The method of data card manufacture, which comprises: rapidlyadvancing lengthwise a long card-stock web of substantially uniformwidth; punching a straight line of perforations from the web marginallyof each side edge of the web, to extend in the direction of webadvancement; subjecting the web to cutters which slit the web alongsideand inwardly of both lines of perforations aforesaid, to provide inparallelism with each of said lines of perforations a primary line ofcuts and a secondary line of cuts, the primary and secondary lines ofcuts being in closely spaced parallelism one with the other throughoutthe length of the web to define detachable trim strips each includingone of the lines of perforations aforesaid; the primary line of cutsbeing constituted of a series of individual, straight slits in end toend alignment and separated by uncut ties of web stock; the secondaryline of cuts being constituted of a series of aligned individualstraight slits shorter in length than the slits of the primary line,said short slits being spaced farther from the adjacent line ofperforations than are the longer slits of the primary line, and each ofsuch short slits subtending a tie between two adjacent long slits of theprimary line of cuts, whereby upon Ibursting of a trim strip from theweb the ties are torn away leaving notches in the web stock remaining,while the longer slits define an end edge of a card constituted of saidremaining web stock; then piercing the web transversely at predeterminedintervals with a line of individual elongate cuts arranged in end to enddisposition, with the ends of each transverse cut spaced from the endsof the next `adjacent transverse cuts to provide connecting ties betweenadjacent transverse cuts for temporarily maintaining continuity of theweb; then punching pads of stock from the web to include the connectingties last mentioned, thereby to complete severance of the web along thetransverse cuts, and establish finished edges of two successive cards sostruck from the web.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the pads of stockpunched from the web are of greater width than the width of thetransverse cuts, and said pads are so located as to lremove stock atboth sides of the line transverse cuts, resulting in the formation ofnotches in the web stock at opposite sides of the line of transverseseverance.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the application of alllines of perforations and all lines of cuts both longitudinal andtransverse, as well as the punching operation and remo-val of ythe trimstrips, are performed during continuous advancement of the web.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,532,538 4/1925Langston 83-303 X 1,812,654 6/1931 Kirschbrauz 83-920 X 1,8 34,004l2/l93l Overbury et al. 225-2 2,167,734 8/1939 Zonino 22S-2 2,624,597 1/1953 Winans 281-5 2,700,556 1/1955 Holmwood 281-5 3,114,565 12/1963Sornberger 281-5 WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examinez'.

l. M. MEISTER, Assistant Examiner.

1. THE METHOD OF DATA CARD MANUFACTURE, WHICH COMPRISES: RAPIDLYADVANCING A LONG CARD-STOCK WEB OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM WIDTH; PIERCINGTHE WEB TRANSVERSELY AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS WITH A SINGLE SUCCESSIONOF ELONGATE CUTS IN END TO END ALIGNMENT, THE ENDS OF EACH CUT BEINGSPACED FROM THE ENDS OF THE NEXT ADJACENT CUTS TO PROVIDE CONNECTINGTIES MAINTAINING CONTINUITY OF THE WEB; THEN EXCISING THE CONNECTINGTIES BY PUNCHING PADS FROM THE WEB WHEREIN THE TRANSVERSE DIMENSION OFTHE PADS ARE THE SAME AS THE CONNECTING TIES, TO SEVER THE WEB ALONG THESUCCESSION OF CUTS.